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The Irishman Lands On Netflix Today

The Irishman Lands On Netflix Today

Martin Scorcese's newest gangster flick saw him team up once again with Hollywood legends Robert De Niro and Al Pacino

Dominic Smithers

Dominic Smithers

The Irishman will finally land on Netflix today, after its limited cinema run.

Martin Scorsese's most recent mob flick sees him working once more with Hollywood legends Robert De Niro and Al Pacino, and has already been labelled a classic by those lucky enough to have seen it on the big screen.

The film is based on the book I Heard You Paint Houses by Charles Brandt and tells the story of Frank Sheeran, a gangster, hitman and World War Two veteran.

Sheeran (played by De Niro in the film) finds himself mixed up with some of the most notorious people of the 20th century.

The synopsis says: "The film chronicles one of the greatest unsolved mysteries in American history, the disappearance of legendary union boss Jimmy Hoffa, and offers a monumental journey through the hidden corridors of organised crime."

The film used de-ageing technology to make the cast look younger.
Netflix

The movie spans decades, as Frank reflects back on his mobster career, with particular focus on the disappearance of his old friend and controversial union leader Jimmy Hoffa (Pacino) - and his potential involvement in the crime.

As well as the performances of its incredible cast - which includes Joe Pesci - the gangster thriller has been lauded for its use of state-of-the-art technology.

Instead of casting younger actors to play the stars in their former years, the production team invested a heavy dose of the budget on sophisticated anti-ageing software, allowing De Niro and Pacino to relive their 30s again while flexing their acting chops.

Speaking earlier this year, Scorsese said that The Irishman is completely different to any of his previous gangster movies.

He told The Independent: "This is different, I think it is. I admit that there are - you know, Goodfellas and Casino have a certain style that I created for them - it's on the page in the script, actually.

Pacino, Scorsese, and De Niro got back together for The Irishman.
PA

"Putting Goodfellas together was almost like an afterthought. At times I was kind of rushing, I felt I'd already done it because I'd played it all out in terms of the camera moves and the editing and that sort of thing.

"The style of the picture, the cuts, the freeze-frames, all of this was planned way in advance, but here it's a little different."

And since The Irishman's world premiere earlier this year, critics have appeared to agree.

The New York Times described it as the director's 'least sentimental picture of mob life, and for that reason his most poignant', adding that it's a 'gift for cinephiles'.

Meanwhile, Esquire added that this 'isn't just any old mob movie or Goodfellas-lite', but rather 'a haunting, poignant, twilight-of-the-gods drama tinged with regret, driven by monumental ambition'.

Featured Image Credit: Netflix

Topics: TV and Film, US Entertainment, Netflix